My name is Isabel Nicole Tuason, and I'm a first-generation Chinese-Pilipino American and full time product designer. I have an applied background in accessibility research, and am most interested in designing inclusive and accessible technologies for BIPoC, people with disabilities, and other marginalized identities.
As a designer and artist, I identify under the pseudonym .int, representing my initials in the standard syntax for a file extension. For my personal artworks, I draw inspiration from my Chinese-Pilipino heritage, exploring how my identity traverses digital space.
I believe in open collaboration and participatory design, which means working closely with all stakeholders and end-users throughout the design process to ensure the end product satisfies everyone's wants and needs. Open communication is key, as well as having a team-based mindset to best solve the problem at hand, especially if any speed bumps arise. In doing so, it gives everyone the rightful agency and respect they deserve when collaborating on a project. In other words: teamwork makes the dream work.
I believe in inclusive design. By this, I mean design that respects and empowers the full range of human diversity. As designers, it is our responsibility to take the time to listen, learn, and incorporate different perspectives. We must ask ourselves: What do we have to learn from this, and what do we have to un-learn? How can we create more purposeful and equitable designs, and incorporate the perspectives of groups that have been historically marginalized? In doing so, we can approach our work with intention, ensuring that we are creating inclusive products that satisfy and unite all users.
I love drawing, painting, animating, and doing anything that involves something I can make with my hands — on screens or in real life. When I'm not working, I love to create low-stress art that's just for me, like drawings of frogs with hats, or characters from my favorite video games or shows. Creating things makes me feel grounded and happy, especially when I take the time to do it for myself.
I've definitely beat the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild more than a reasonable amount of times. And I've also re-watched my favorite Hunter x Hunter episodes more times than I can count, but they never seem to lose their sparkle. I like to take Link on walks and sit in grassy fields, and pause episodes to admire the character design. On my second go-around (or third, or fourth, or fifth) I always find new things that inspire me to keep creating.
I really like fashion and makeup. Most of the time, I like to express how I'm feeling that day — or how I want to feel that day — in what I wear. The idea that I can exist as whatever I choose to present myself is freeing. And making those choices makes me feel empowered and ready to start the day.
